So we all know the story about Joe the Plumber, the guy from Ohio. We also know about how a different Joe in Texas has been made several 6 figure offers for JoeThePlumber.com, his business domain name. However, what hasn’t been reported is the fact that Joe bought the name from BuyDomains.com just last year. Although I can’t find the price he paid, my bet is it’s less than a few thousand dollars – a nice ROI!
"Joe" Could Have Made NameMedia 6 Figures
Kentucky Judge: Domain Seizure Case Can Proceed
According to Fox 17 in Nashville, Tennessee, the presiding judge ruling on the state of Kentucky’s seizure of 141 gambling-related domain names has refused to dismiss the lawsuit. The judge said that he will hear arguments a month from tomorrow – November 17th – before deciding whether or not to give control of the 141 domain names to the government of the state of Kentucky.
Subprime Mess
I am selling the domain name SubprimeMess.com. Highest offer in the next 48 hours gets it. Post your offers in the comment section of the blog. I am also posting this sale on a couple of domain forums, and when bids are received there, I will update this post.
At the moment, there are 459,000 Google results for the quoted term “subprime mess.”
Selling a Domain Name for $1 Million
I was thinking about the disconnect between domain owners and end users today and trying to think of ways to bridge the gap. While it may be a bit of an unrelated tangent my mind went on, I came to a simple but accurate conclusion about selling a domain name for a lot of money.
The only way you can sell a domain name for $1 million is by walking away from $500,000. It’s a simple statement, but I believe it’s true.
Several years ago, I was playing Double Down video poker on a cruise. If you’d win a hand, the game would show 5 cards. One card would automatically flip for the player and the player had to choose the game’s card. If you win you get a certain payout, and if you lost, you would lose everything you had earned. Every time you got it right, your winnings would double. You could either double again or collect your winnings.
The long of it is that I won $1,200 by doing this several times, and when I stopped and got 3 buckets full of quarters (and a Jackpot t-shirt). Instead of thinking about how cool it was to win, I only could think about what could have been if I hadn’t stopped. A couple hours later I was playing and had winnings of $1,600 by doing the same thing – only to lose at $3,200.
Point of this is, you never know what you can ultimately get for a domain name if a buyer is motivated enough to buy it. It takes guts to turn down a $500,000 offer, but you won’t get a million dollars for your domain name if you don’t walk away from $500,000.
Apple Founder to Headline DomainFest
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak will be the keynote speaker at the 2009 DomainFest Global conference which will take place January 28-30, 2009 in Hollywood, California. Wozniak, who co-founded Apple with Steve Jobs, is a dynamic speaker, and it will be good to hear him speak. I was at the 2008 DomainFest in Hollywood, and thought it was a fantastic show. I am planning to attend the show, and am now looking forward to hearing Steve Wozniak speak.
From the Press Release:
STEVE WOZNIAK, LEGENDARY ENTREPRENEUR AND CO-FOUNDER OF APPLE COMPUTER, INC., WILL HEADLINE 2009 DOMAINFEST GLOBAL EVENT IN HOLLYWOOD
Los Angeles, CA (October 16, 2008) – DomainSponsor(tm), the domain monetization division of Oversee.net, announced today that Steve Wozniak will be the keynote speaker at the third annual DOMAINfest(tm) Global event scheduled for January 28-30, 2009 in Hollywood, Calif. The Apple Computer, Inc. co-founder and Silicon Valley icon is one of the most influential and colorful innovators in technology history, and is credited with helping shape the personal computer industry with his Apple designs.
For his achievements at Apple Computer, Inc. in 1985, President Reagan awarded Wozniak the National Medal of Technology, the highest honor bestowed on America’s leading innovators. In 2000, Wozniak was inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame and was awarded the prestigious Heinz Award for Technology, The Economy and Employment.
In recent years, Wozniak has been involved with other Apple alumni in developing a number of telecommunications and technology companies. He also is a founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which confronts cutting-edge issues defending free speech, privacy, innovation, and consumer rights today. In 2006, Wozniak (also known as “The Woz”) published his autobiography, iWoz: From Computer Geek to Cult Icon.
“It’s a great honor to have Steve Wozniak join us as keynote speaker at DOMAINfest Global 2009,” Lawrence Ng, Oversee’s CEO and co-founder said. “His innovative thinking and pioneering spirit inspires all of us. Guests at DOMAINfest are sure to walk away with a renewed sense of entrepreneurial determination after listening to Steve’s insights and experiences.”
DOMAINfest Global is an annual event providing networking and educational opportunities to a wide range of professionals interested in or involved with the domain industry. Guests will include online advertising experts, domain publishers, domain monetization experts, SEO/SEM specialists, website developers, online marketers, ad or affiliate network suppliers, search advertising providers, venture capitalists, bankers, and trademark/legal advisors. Visit http://www.domainfest.com to register for DOMAINfest Global 2009 and to get more information about the event, including sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities.
To enhance networking before, during and after the January 2009 event, DOMAINfest Global now offers a web 2.0 online networking community called DOMAINfest Connect(tm). This free online community is open to anyone involved in the domain industry. Members do not need to be a registered DOMAINfest Global attendee to join DOMAINfest Connect(tm). After entering profile information, individuals can instantly find and connect with other community members who have similar personal and professional interests. For details or to join, visit http://www.domainfestconnect.com
Kentucky Domain Seizure: Ruling Delayed Until 10/16
According to a post on Poker News Daily, the eagerly anticipated ruling on the fate of 141 gambling domain names that were seized by the state of Kentucky has been delayed until tomorrow. The delayed ruling was attributed to a computer glitch in the presiding judge’s office. This ruling could be impactful to other domain owners – not just the owners of these 141 domain names or even to owners of other gambling domain names. In one way or other, this ruling could have an impact on any domain owner.
At the hearing last week, domain owners were well represented by the Internet Commerce Association.